Drama
Doctor Who
The good Doctor’s been flitting around time, space and the BBC since 1963. Now he’s also a fixture in the US, toting his curiously British brand of sci-fi in his highly mobile TARDIS. Just how safe is this contraption?
Purdue Pharma’s drug MS Contin has a big problem: People associate the morphine-based drug with death. And for Dr. Richard Sackler, death is not an ideal marketing tool.
Richard believes that, to sell opioids, the company needs to find a different tack, and he thinks he has one. “All of human behavior is essentially comprised of two things: running from pain and toward pleasure,” he says. “But if we place ourselves right there, between pain and pleasure … if we become the gatekeepers for everyone who wants to get away from pain, then we have changed the world.”
And so, to save his company and earn millions, Richard conducts focus groups, trying to figure out what opioid they can use that doesn’t have preconceived notions surrounding it. And it’s not long before Richard finds that oxycodone has a clean slate.
“So you want to take a drug with twice the kick of morphine and give it to everybody?” A cautious onlooker asks.
And Richard smiles. “Yes,” he says, “yes, I do.”
Soon, their new drug, OxyContin, is being prescribed across the nation—thereby becoming the largest cause of the opioid epidemic, associated with killing more than 300,000 people in two decades.
Richard likes oxycodone because, unlike morphine, it isn’t associated with death. But in less than a generation, that’s exactly the association Richard gives it.
Painkiller starts each episode with a disclaimer given by a different person who states that while the show is based on real events, certain aspects have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. That person then goes on to explain that their personal story with OxyContin, however, was not fictional, and they’ll tell viewers of a loved one who passed away after using OxyContin.
In the series, the Sackler family is portrayed as snake-oil salesmen, willing to do whatever it takes to grow the OxyContin empire—even if it means ignoring a few concerning variables. Because sure, you could tell half the story (as the Sacklers did) andfocus on the fact that OxyContin works. After all, it’s a painkiller, and it does rid of pain. But a wiser person would focus on its high rate of addiction and withdrawal. After all, any drug that the Department of Justice later recognized as being called “poor man’s heroin” should be considered very seriously.
We’ll get plenty of perspectives while watching this show. We’ll see the tragedy develop through the eyes of Richard himself as he desperately denies any liability for the growing issue of abuse. We’ll follow one of Purdue Pharma’s college-aged pharmaceutical salespeople, whom one doctor describes as a “drug dealer with a ponytail.” We’ll watch as one man’s life falls apart as he slowly becomes addicted to OxyContin. And finally, we’ll join Edie, an investigator with the U.S. attorney’s office, as she seeks to prosecute the company and people behind the epidemic.
The subject matter itself makes Painkiller a difficult watch, especially because we know that much of what we see on screen isn’t fiction.
But Painkiller does have quite a few content issues of its own beyond drug abuse and overdose, too. Heavy swearing is very frequent, and we see and hear some sexual situations that include nudity. And some violence is present, too, including a man who accidentally chomps deep into his finger, causing blood to pour from the bite wound, as well as the death of a 15-year-old OxyContin-addicted girl.
All those issues make Painkiller’s dark and depressing tale even more difficult to sit through, despite it telling a very important story.
Richard Sackler looks to create a new drug in order to keep his pharmaceutical company from collapsing.
We hear a reference to a lesbian affair. A woman is seen in lingerie, and we hear sensual moaning. We hear a reference to a man who tried to invent a pill that could give you an orgasm. Women dance sensually in low-cut dresses that reveal cleavage. A woman is seen in her underwear, and her breasts are seen through her tight shirt. Another woman runs her hands up and down a woman’s clothed legs and rear, checking out her figure to find a form-fitting dress for her.
A man, Glen, falls off an excavator and hits his back on a metal car engine. We see Glen in surgery: The surgeons cut him open, and we see the blood and gore inside the incision. Someone gets a lobotomy, and we watch as the pick is inserted into the person’s eye socket. A man dies of a heart attack. Someone’s tooth is pulled.
We see an image of Jesus in Heaven. We hear someone say “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Women take shots of liquor. Others drink champagne.
Glen urinates into a bottle, and he accidentally spills it on himself.
The f-word is used nearly 35 times, including two instances that are preceded by “mother.” The s-word is used 13 times. We also hear “a–,” “d–n,” “h—,” “p-ss” and “crap” used occasionally. God’s name is used in vain eight times, including once in the form of “g-dd–n.” Jesus’ name is used in vain once. Someone displays her middle finger.
While Oxycontin continues to rise in popularity, communities begin to notice its addictive nature.
Glen and his wife have sex, and we hear loud moaning as they orgasm. We see the woman’s breasts. Flashing images include women in bikinis that expose their rears. A woman uses a crude phrase that refers to male genitalia. A doctor briefly discusses a woman who came in for a breast enhancement. A doctor objectifies a woman.
Glen accidentally bites deep into his finger while his pain receptors are numbed by OxyContin. We see the grisly bitemark and lots of blood. He falls to the ground unconscious, taking a table with him. A man hoping to get more OxyContin becomes violent, and he is pepper-sprayed. He accidentally bashes his head on a glass pane. A man talks about how one man made a woman have sex with him. A woman threatens to run another person over. People suffer through withdrawals, including someone who bashes her head into a cabinet. An angry man uses a crude phrase that references sexual assault.
Lots of religious imagery is used to describe Richard and uncle Arthur Sackler’s influence. We hear that Richard was “Arthur’s greatest disciple.” Arthur is seen as a reverend in a church, and OxyContin is described as the “sacrament” of his church. People take the pills as the Eucharist as Arthur blesses them. “The closer is king,” Richard says. “The closer is God,” Arthur corrects him. A woman explains how people trust doctors more than anyone else, even their families and their priests. Richard talks to visions of Arthur.
A woman smokes. A man lights a cigar. Someone is described as a “drug dealer with a ponytail.” People drink alcohol. Teenagers drink beer and get high on OxyContin.
The f-word is used nearly 40 times. The s-word is used nine times. We also hear “a–,” “b–ch,” “d-ck,” “d–n” and “h—” used. God’s name is used in vain nine times, including three that are in the form of “g-dd–n.” Jesus’ name is abused seven times. A woman displays her middle finger.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
The good Doctor’s been flitting around time, space and the BBC since 1963. Now he’s also a fixture in the US, toting his curiously British brand of sci-fi in his highly mobile TARDIS. Just how safe is this contraption?
The Big Cigar’s protagonist, Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panthers, is suspicious of Hollywood. In that, Plugged In would agree.
Milo offers great messages about friendship and trying new things, and it’s free of most anything parents would find concerning.
People from all walks of life learn lessons from God Himself that will change their lives.
